Backguard mounting for cookstoves



Sept. 11, 1956 H. M. REEVES BACKGUARD MOUNTING FOR COOKSTOVES Filed Oct. 12, 1951 NYIcIQwQMd 1 ml- Weev'eu' Q-(ev'bev-t' @m, 2 34 MAW mef QAT'TO NE-Y United States Patent BACKGUARD -MOUNT1NG 0R COOK'STOVES Herbert M. Reeves, Kankakee, 'I lL, assignor to Florence Stove 'Coinpany,'Gardnei-, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application 'October 12, 1951, Serial No. 250,973

3 Claims. "(CL 248 224) The invention rel-ates to cookstoves of the table type equipped with backg-uards, and it is more particularly concerned with the problem of mounting the back-guard on the body of the stove.

One object of the invention is to provide improved fastening means for securing a backguard in place on a stove body -which permits the backguard to be applied to or removed from the stove body by a simple sliding movement of the sameand Without the use of any tools whatsoever.

Another object is to provide a fastening device for securing two stove parts together, embodying cooperating elements which may be engaged or disengaged by a simple sliding "movement 'of one element relative to the other and which when engaged securely lock the parts together against movement in any direction other than the one-required fordisen-gagement.

-A further object is to provide a fastening device of the above general character which may be produced inexpensively by simple punching and forming operations.

Other objects-and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description 'of the preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Figure -1 isa fragmentaryperspective view of a typical cookstove having a backguard secured in place there'on by fastening devices embodying the features of "the invention.

Fig. 2 is -a fragmentary "exploded rear perspective view of the stove and backgu'ard showing the two principal components of the improved fastening device in their respective locations on the backguard and stove body.

Fig. 3 is a perspective View 'of the fastening device showing the components in assembled relationship.

Fig/4 is a rear elevational view'of the'fastening device with the-components in assembled relation'and with parts broken away to show details of construction.

While the invention is susceptible 'of various modifications and alternative constructions, 'I have shown in the-drawings and will hereindescribe in detail "the preferred embodiment, but it is to be understood'th at I do not thereby intend to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed, but intend to cover-all modifications and alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

For purposes of illustration the invention has been shown as embodied in a table type cookstove having a generally re'c'ta'ngularbody closedat opposite ends by sheet metal end panels 11 and supporting at its upper end a cooking top cover iz-and'aworkin'g top 13'arranged in 'side-by-s ide relation. The cooking'top cover is'hinged adjacent its rear "edge 14 so that it may be swungup wardly to expose the top burners. An upright backguard member 15 is provided along'the rear edge of the stove to protect the adjacent kitchen wall from splashing grease and the like. When the backguard 15 is fastened to the stove body 10 its forward edge portion overlies the ICC 2 rear edges of the cooking top cover 12 and the working top 13, as shown in Fig. 1.

In accordance with the invention, I provide a unique two-piece fastening device adapted to be used in pairs for securing the backguard 15 to the stove body. Of particular advantage is the fact that the fastening device is constructed and arranged so that it may be engaged by a simple downward movement of the back-guard and disengaged by upward movement of the same. Moreover, the fastening device when engaged additionally acts to locate the backguard accurately with respect to the adjacentelements of thestove body and to-effectively restrain it against any movement relative to the stove body except in an upward or disengaging-direction.

Each fastening device, in the preferred form illustrated, comprises an elongated prong or post 16 and an elongated guide or socket element 17 with which the post may be engaged by relative endwisemovement of those parts. In the present instance the post 16 is adapted to be mounted in a generally vertical depending position on the backguard, one such post being provided at each end thereof. The sockets 17, in turn, are mounted on the stove body in positions to-register with the posts 16 and engagement therebetween is effected by a simple downward movement of the backguard, as above explained.

As indicated above, two of the fastening devices are utilized to secure each backguard to a stove body. As the devices are exactly alike except that one is made for lett handimeuntin and the other for right-hand mounting, a description of one will suffice. To enable the device to perform its locating and securing functions, each post 16 a'n'dits companion socket element 17 are provided with opposed locating abutment's and with cooperating c'am elements which act to force the 'abutments into engagement "with a wedging action. In the exemplary fastening device in which the post and socket elements are fabricated from sheet metal stock, the locating abutment on the socket element comprises an inwardlyturned flange '18 "formed'alohg the rear edge of a flat generally triangular stamping constituting the body 19 of the element.

Forc'ooper'ati'on with the abutment flange 18 the post 16 has formed along its rear edge a pair of rearwardly facing shoulders 20 "spaced apart longitudinally of the post as'sh'own'in Fig. 2. Thejportion of the post between the shoulders '20 is preferably recessed as at 21, thus narrowing the lower portion ofthe post into a neck section 22.

Formed 'adjacent'the lower front edge of the .post '16 is a downwardly and rearwardly sloping cam surface 23 adapted to coact with a similarly sloping abutment 24 formed on the body 19 of the socket element and positioned so as to cam the vpost rearwardly and thus force the shoulders-20 firmly against the flange -18. The post and backguard to which it is attached-are, therefore accurately located with respect to the socket element and additionally are securely held against' fore and aftmovement.

Prefer-ably the 'abutment24 is in the form of .an offset lug or ear struck out from the body 19 of thesocket member an d providing a tongue portion 25 adapted to overlap the-neck portion 22 of-the post. With thisarrange'mentthepost and socket-\element-are securely locked together againstlateral movement.

'Additional interlockingof the parts is eifected and -a limit position'for the post is determined by anarrester in the form of an o'ff-setlug struck out from the post16 providingan abutment portion 26 engageable with the upper edge of the socket element and a tongue portion 27 adapted to overlie the adjacent edge portion of the socket member. Thus the arrester defines a downwardly opening pocket adapted to slidably receive the upper edge of the socket element as the parts are shifted into assembled relation. Preferably the tip portion 28 of the tongue 27 is turned outwardly as indicated in Fig. 4 to facilitate the engagement of the tongue over the edge of the socket element.

.The post and socket elements may be secured to the associated stove parts in any suitable manner. In the particular embodiment illustrated the post-16 is formed at its upper rear'edge with a laterally turned flange adjacent its upper end for attachment to an inwardly turned flange 31 on the backguard 15. Attachment may be effected by means of stove bolts 32 or other suitable fastening devices.

The socket element 17 may be secured to the stove bodyby suitable fastening means or by spot welding as herein shown. For this purpose the body 19 of the socket member is formed adjacent its upper end with a forwardly projecting extension 35 terminating in an inwardly turned flange 36 adapted to abut a suitable part of the stove body. At the lower end of the body an extension 37 of the flange 18 is offset forwardly from the flange for abutting engagement with a mounting car 38 rigid with the stove body.

Tabs or ears formed in the upper edge of the socket element and bent outwardly from the plane of the body 19 serve the dual purpose of guiding the posts 16 into engaging relation with the socket elements 17 and locking the parts against fore and aft movement. The ears 40 are spaced apart to receive between them the arrester abutment 26 which is thus effectively blocked against fore and aft movement relative to the socket element. The ears preferably extend under the top flange of the stove end panel 11 and thus prevent the post 16 from sliding down the outer surface of the socket element as the backguard is lowered into assembled relation with the stove body.

The ease and simplicity of assembling a backguard with stove body through the use of the improved fastening device constituting the present invention will be readily appreciated by following the assembly process step by step. As the backguard is lowered from the position from which it is shown in Fig. 2, the cars 40 engage the lower end of the post 16 and guide it into proper registry with the socket element. The lower shoulder 20 of the post engages the locating flange 18 of the socket element to guide the post in its further downward movement.

As downward movement of the post 16 continues, the overlapping or offset lug 25 slips over the lower sloping edge of the post. Eventually the inclined cam surface 23 engages the abutment portion 24 of the lug and slides therealong and the post is wedged rearwardly to engage both shoulders 20 firmly against the flange 18. At or about this same time, the abutment portion 26 of the arrester slides between and is snugly engaged by the cars 40. Downward movement of the backguard is finally terminated by the seating of the tapered post 16 against the abutments on the socket element 17.

It will be evident that with the two parts of the fastening elements engaged the backguard will be accurately located in proper relationship to the other parts of the stove body and moreover it will be rigidly held in place against movement in any direction except upwardly. Fore and aft movements are effectively prevented since the shoulders 20 of each post are tightly wedged against the flange 18 of the associated socket element by the action of the cam surfaces 22 and cooperating abutment 24. Moreover the arrester abutments 26 are effectively confined between the spaced ears 40 of the socket elements. Lateral movements are effectively prevented by the overlapping tongues 25 engaging the respective posts and the tongues 27 of the arresters on the posts engaging over the respective socket elements- Thus th b c g d is firmly and securely anchored to the stove body by the simple act of sliding the posts 16 downwardly into engagement with the socket elements 17. No tools are required and no loose fasteners such as stove bolts or screws are involved.

The improved fastening device is simple in construction and well adapted to be made by inexpensive stamping and forming operations. Application of the stove parts is simple and inexpensive and, as pointed out above, once installed the assembly with or removal of the backguard from the stove is a very simple and easy operation.

I claim as my invention:

1. A fastening device for securing a backguard to the body of a cookstove comprising, in combination, an elongated post adapted to be secured to the backguard in depending relation, a socket element adapted to be secured to the stove body in position to receive said post, said socket element having abutments spaced apart to receive the post between them and effective to restrain the post against fore and aft movement, spaced ears rigid with said socket element, an arrester on said post including an abutment portion receivable between the ears on said socket element and cooperating therewith to restrict fore and aft movement of the post relative to the socket element, said arrester including a tongue portion adapted to extend over the socket element and restrain said post against lateral movement relative thereto.

2. A fastening device for securing a backguard to the body of a cookstove comprising, in combination, an elongated post adapted to be secured to the backguard in depending relation, a socket element adapted to be secured to the stove body in position to receive said post, said socket element having abutments spaced apart to receive the post between them and effective to restrain the post against fore and aft movement, one of said abutments comprising an offset lug having a tongue portion adapted to overlap said socket element, spaced tabs projecting from the upper edge of said socket element, and an offset lug on said post including an abutment portion engageable between said tabs and a tongue portion adapted to overlap the socket element, the tongue portions of said lugs serving to restrain said post against lateral movement relative to said socket element.

3. A fastening device for securing a backguard to the body of a cookstove comprising, in combination, an elongated post adapted to be secured to the backguard in depending relation, a socket element adapted to be secured to the stove body in position to receive said post, said socket element having abutments spaced apart to receive the post between them and effective to restrain the post against fore and aft movement, an ofiset lug formed on said post including an abutment portion adapted to engage the upper edge of said socket element and a tongue portion adapted to overlap the socket element, and a pair of ears upstanding from the upper edge of said socket element, said ears being spaced apart to receive said lug and to cooperate therewith in restraining said post against fore and aft movement relative to said socket element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 813,537 Townsend Feb. 27, 1906 1,247,938 Curtenius Nov. 27, 1917 1,775,902 Higbie Sept. 16, 1930 1,858,648 Wahnsieder May 17, 1932 2,103,106 Yurkovitch Dec. 21, 1937 2,218,961 Schulz Oct. 22, 1940 2,271,928 Sims Feb. 3, 1942 2,556,554 Pellegrin June 12, 1951 2,556,555 Reedy June 12, 1951 

